Friday, April 3, 2020

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)



Streaming Service: Hulu
Movie Name/Year: The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 117 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: BRON Studios, Creative Wealth Media Finance, Imagine Entertainment, Lionsgate, Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures, Lionsgate UK, Aurum Films, BF Distribution, Belga Films, Constantin-Film, Golden Village Pictures, Independent Films, Metropolitan Filmexport, Mongkol Major, Noori Pictures, Noori, Nordisk Film Distribusjon, Phars Film, Pioneer Films, Roadshow Film Distributors (NZ) Ltd., Roadshow Films, Spentzos Films, StudioCanal, TME Films, Eagle Films, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Neon, Pris Audiovisuais, TV3
Director: Susanna Fogel
Writer: Susanna Fogel, David Iserson
Actors: Justin Theroux, Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Lolly Adefope, Dustin Demri-Burns, David Iserson, Sam Heughan, Hasan Minhaj, Mirjam Novak, Kev Adams, Gillian Anderson, Ivanna Sakhno, Jane Curtin, Paul Reiser, Fred Melamed, James Fleet, Carolyn Pickles, Tom Stourton, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

Blurb from IMDb: Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.


Selina’s Point of View:
This movie started on a bad note for me. There was cringe and continuity errors galore, neither of which ever endears me to a film. But the problems barely even lasted to the title screen – then things got much better.

Mila Kunis (Oz the Great and Powerful, Hell and Back, Wonder Park) and Kate McKinnon (Office Christmas Party, Ferdinand, Bombshell) have such amazing on-screen chemistry that I immediately bought the idea that they were best friends. I’ve had some of the same back-and-forth bantering moments with my best friend, and it felt natural to me when I saw it on-screen. I don’t think anyone could fault either of their performances.

A lot of critics had an issue with the humor in this film, but I don’t think they gave it the credit it deserves. Yes, the movie does seem to try to give a few too many poop jokes. When it’s not going to toilet humor, though, it had me giggling out loud.


The humor wasn’t the best part, though.

I expected a fish-out-of-water comedy. I got a LOT of that, but I wouldn’t lean too heavily toward ‘comedy’ when describing this film. It’s not a funny film with some action. It’s an action film with some comedy. I don’t think the production company did itself any favors by marketing it as the former.

The action sequences in The Spy Who Dumped Me were on point. There was so much more action, blood, and intensity than I expected. The first big shootout went by and I was like, ‘yeah, ok. I expected that.’ But the movie never really slowed down after that, and it caught me off-guard. You get a decent high-quality action scene – then some comedy – then right back to the action.

Critics didn’t seem to watch this film from the right perspective. I blame marketing for that. Personally, I loved it. It’s one of those films where I could see it becoming a guilty pleasure.


Cat’s Point of View:
There’s a feeling that you get when a movie opens with one of your favorite songs. It amps you up and automatically puts you in the mood to expect, hope, and pray the movie it’s attached to will be good. Quite a few times, I’ve been disappointed. This was not one of those times. The Spy Who Dumped Me delivered a case full of awesome.

I remember that I’d been rather excited to see this movie from the get-go. I’ll admit that this is actually my second viewing; albeit, my first watch-through was when the film first reached On-Demand through my cable provider over a year ago. I felt like I was watching again for the first time. I was taken back along for the ride, swept into the story and the laughter. Aside from that, Selina and I both scored this movie in our Top 10 movies to look out for in August 2018. I had this one as my #4.

I love the premise of this movie. You see so many buddy-cop and buddy P.I. movies – the list really goes on – with a pair of guys involved. If it’s not two dudes, then there’s a male/female pairing. This is one of those Thelma and Louise (1991) sort of movies that tosses that old recipe out the window and runs with the strengths of two capable women banding together.


Of course, this movie spoofs the spy genre all over the place – that’s fun, too. I just dig that ‘ride or die’ friendship that the two female lead characters have. This is the sort of shenaniganry I would get into with my own best friends. I’d like to think so, at least. Hopefully with fewer flying bullets.

Kate McKinnon is one of my favorite comedians of today. I adore the quirkiness that she brings to her roles. Casting did a wonderful job here pairing her with Mila Kunis. I believed the dynamic of their friendship. It felt organic. Besides, who doesn’t like a good ‘straight-laced’ foil to a kooky character?

The icing on the action-laden cake for me was Sam Heughan’s (Young Alexander the Great, Emulsion, Bloodshot) involvement with the project. Aside from getting moony whenever I hear the Scottish actor speak, I like seeing the different roles he takes outside of his lead role in Outlander (2014-). Even though I’m an admitted fangirl, I feel that I can still be fairly objective when I say that he excels in this sort of genre.

I would definitely give this action-packed spy flick a hearty recommendation. In fact, I’d have to say that the film is probably in my personal top 200 of all time. I’d watch it again, and again.


Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 49%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 57%
Metascore – 52/100
Metacritic User Score – 5.9/10
IMDB Score – 6.0/10
CinemaScore – B

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating4/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating5/5

P.S. Two extra scenes during the credits.

Movie Trailer:

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Top 20 New Movies With Internet Releases In April (2020)

According to: Selina


Disclaimer

This month, the theaters remain closed as most of the world is stuck in lockdown.

It’s rough for everyone to be stuck outside of our normal schedules with much less to take our minds off the fucked-up situation this world is struggling against. Most of us are just stuck at home watching the numbers go up and our leaders quibble over bullshit.

At times like this I, personally, turn very heavily to entertainment – specifically movies, video games, and books. Unfortunately, there are a ton of movies that were supposed to come out this month that have been postponed to a later date. The production companies are not leaving us completely without new films, though.

Most of what we’re going to see come out on the internet in April are movies that were released in theaters and are coming to the internet early. We’ll also see films produced by streaming companies and indie films – mainly because they’re used to using the internet as their first source of exposure. That said, DreamWorks is going to be taking a big risk with Trolls World Tour.

My theory? I think big production companies are going to wait to see how Trolls World Tour does during its opening weekend on VOD. If the movie does well, we may see more big-budget films being released during the lockdown. If it does poorly, we’re going to be waiting a bit longer for any new big-budget movies. At least until the theaters re-open.

In the meantime, I’ve gathered a list of 20 films being released online in April. Granted, there are a lot of them that wouldn’t normally make the Top 20. Still, I felt it was important to try and hit the #20 mark because it’s what we do. Besides, just because I don’t particularly see a ton of potential in a film – doesn’t mean you won’t. At the very least, you’ll know those movies are there for you to see if you get bored.

Hopefully, the theaters will reopen and we’ll be able to go back to our normal Top 20 article next month. If not, we’ll try to compile another list like this one.

There are some movies that are still scheduled for their April release date, but there’s no record of an online release date. I decided not to include those films in this list. We’ll try to keep track, and if we find any records of a date, we’ll let you know.

Cat and I hope that you guys are staying safe and sane in this time of rampant insanity. Try to remember that it won’t always be this way and things will get better. Try to stay in touch with your friends through video chat, games, phones calls, and anything else you can use. Staying physically distant doesn’t mean you have to stay emotionally distant, too. Find your support or support someone else. You’re not alone. We’re all in this together.

20 – Green Rush (4/14)


Production/Distribution: Datura Studios, Fabrox Films, Prime One Productions, Lionsgate
Director: Gerard Roxburgh
Writer: Gerard Roxburgh, Danny Acosta, Rick Lee, Paul Telfer
Actors: Mike Foy, Paul Telfer, Kriss Dozal, Misha Crosby, Alexius Zellner, Michael Roddy, Andre Fili, John Mawson, Declan Michael Laird
Genre: Thriller
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: A cannabis farmer and his pregnant lover fight for their lives when ruthless criminals invade their property.

There are some scenes in this trailer that look a little more on the disturbing side.

I don’t know the true story involved, but I do know that there are certain things that most companies try to keep out of their trailers because they’re too sensitive for the mass public. The only reason I think those scenes would make it into a non-red-band trailer is because there isn’t another scene that could take its place.

That said, I think Green Rush looks like a decent film, but I’m concerned that all the most thrilling scenes are already ruined in the coming attraction.

19 – Betonrausch (aka Rising High) (4/17)


Production/Distribution: Netflix
Director: Cüneyt Kaya
Writer: Cüneyt Kaya
Actors: David Kross, Emily Goss, Frederick Lau, Dejan Bucin, Janina Uhse, Jerry Kwarteng, Uwe Preuss, Silvina Buchbauer, Heike Hanold-Lynch, Alexander Yassin, Jimmy Gutzeit
Genre: Comedy
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 94 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Charting the rise and fall of three corrupt real estate agents who accumulate absurd wealth in no time but fall into a vortex of fraud, greed and drugs.

Now, this one is on the list because I think the story looks interesting. That said, I don’t really like the trailer.

Where the trailer is concerned, it looks like they tried to make it as stereotypical as absolutely possible. Sure, the movie itself might go the same route, but I still think it has potential.

Netflix is very hit or miss with their originals, but whether they pass or fail they always go hard. There’s never a moment where they don’t take every risk they possible can. In an action film they’re combining every single action possibility from chase scenes to explosions. In a drama, they’ll give you every single scene they can think of that might possibly inspire tears. In a comedy… they remove the filter between a writer’s brain and the paper completely. Sometimes it feels like they’re throwing everything at a wall and seeing what’ll stick and other times… it just works.

We’re going to have to see what category this falls under.

18 – Bad Therapy (4/17)


Production/Distribution: Gravitas Ventures, Varient
Director: William Teitler
Writer: Nancy Doyne
Actors: Michaela Watkins, Rob Corddry, Alicia Silverstone, Anna Pniowsky, Aisha Tyler, Sarah Shahi, Haley Joel Osment, Dichen Lachman, John Ross Bowie, Ginger Gonzaga, Sunkrish Bala, Erik Griffin, Paris Bravo, David Paymer
Genre: Comedy
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 97 minutes

IMDb Blurb: A couple seeks Judy Small, a marriage counselor, but the counselor is more than what meets the eye.

Although there’s some of the trailer that looks a little lower-quality, most of Bad Therapy looks decent. In fact, it looks better than some of the movies higher on the list, but I have one big issue that I can’t overlook.

The trailer looks like a paint-by-numbers thriller, but Bad Therapy is listed on IMDb as a comedy. That’s a bit of an issue. That means that the film is either not being marketed well, or it’s not a funny movie. Obviously, the hope is that the production company is not marketing it well. I see people like Aisha Tyler (Archer, Criminal Minds, The Babymakers) in the supporting cast that make me feel like that might be the case.

I want this movie to work. I haven’t seen Alicia Silverstone (The Baby-Sitters Club, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Who Gets the Dog?) in anything for a while and I rather enjoy Rob Corddry (The Unicorn, Ballers, Hot Tub Time Machine). I want to believe that – whatever this is – they’ll be able to elevate it.

17 – Dreamkatcher (4/28)


Production/Distribution: Taylor Lane Productions, Grindstone Entertainment Group, Dutch FilmWorks (DFW), Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Storm Pictures Korea
Director: Kerry Harris
Writer: Kerry Harris, Dan V. Shea
Actors: Radha Mitchell, Henry Thomas, Lin Shaye, Jules Willcox, Joseph Bishara, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: In order to stop his bad dreams a young boy steals a dreamcatcher from a mysterious neighbor forcing his family to rescue him from a nightmarish entity.

Dreamkatcher seems like a solid horror film. It’s got jump scares, a creepy kid, and a basic lore-based tale to back up the scares. It’s probably not going to reinvent the genre, but it will almost definitely be something that works to take your mind off the real scary stuff in the world for an hour or so.

At the very least, the brilliant Lin Shaye (The Grudge, Ambition, Bayou Tales) is involved. So that’s something.

16 – Martin Eden (4/17)


Production/Distribution: Avventurosa, IBC Movie, Rai Cinema, Shellac Sud, Match Factory Productions, ARTE, Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (MiBAC), Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée, Regione Campania, Film Commission Regione Campania, Regione Lazio, L'Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Bayerischer Rundfunk, 01 Distribution, Shellac Distribution, Kino Lorber, BestFilm.eu
Director: Pietro Marcello
Writer: Jack London, Maurizio Braucci, Pietro Marcello
Actors: Luca Marinelli, Jessica Cressy, Vincenzo Nemolato, Marco Leonardi, Denise Sardisco, Carmen Pommella, Carlo Cecchi, Autilia Ranieri, Elisabetta Valgoi, Pietro Ragusa, Savino Paparella, Vincenza Modica, Giusiniano Alpi, Giuseppe Iuliano, Peppe Maggio, Maurizio Donadoni, Gaetano Bruno, Franco Pinelli, Anna Patierno, Lana Vlady, Aniello Arena
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 129 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Martin Eden struggles to rise above his destitute, proletarian circumstances through an intense and passionate pursuit of self-education, hoping to achieve a place among the literary elite.

As amazing as this film looks, I can’t put it higher because it’s just not my kind of story. I tend to not really enjoy this period piece setting. That said, it looks like it would be AMAZING for people who DO like this kind of thing.

Even just in the trailer, you can tell the depth of the main character and what he’s driven by. It’s raw, intense, and the cinematography is engulfing.

If you like period pieces, or you’re a fan of the book, then you should definitely be looking forward to this one.

15 – An English Haunting (4/10)


Production/Distribution: Dark Temple Motion Pictures, High Octane Pictures
Director: Charlie Steeds
Writer: Charlie Steeds
Actors: David Lenik, Tessa Wood, Barrington De La Roche, Emma Spurgin Hussey, Jéssica Alonso, Rory Wilton, Swainley Whipps Eden-Entwistle, Richard D. Myers
Genre: Horror
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 89 minutes

IMDb Blurb: In 1960s England, Blake Cunningham and his alcoholic mother are forced to move into the mysterious Clemonte Hall, a vast isolated manor house, to care for his dying Grandfather who resides in the attic room. Soon, ghostly goings-on fill the house with dread, as it becomes apparent Grandfather's illness may have a supernatural cause that can only be cured by uncovering the terrifying secrets of the house and its dark history.

I do expect a lot of jump scares out of An English Haunting, but I also believe it will go deeper than that. There’s something about it that gives me an Edgar Allan Poe feel. I can’t back it up much with observations, it’s just a feeling.

It’s probably not going to be as a high a quality – production-wise – as some of the other movies on this list, but I think it’s going to be more than just watchable because of the atmosphere.

I’m looking forward to seeing this one. I believe there’s going to be more beyond the surface of what is shown.

14 – Coffee & Kareem (4/3)


Production/Distribution: Pacific Electric Picture Company, Netflix
Director: Michael Dowse
Writer: Shane Mack
Actors: Betty Gilpin, Taraji P. Henson, Ed Helms, Andrew Bachelor, Jesse Hutch, Samantha Cole, Terrence Little Gardenhigh, Chance Hurstfield, David Alan Grier, RonReaco Lee
Genre: Action, Comedy
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 88 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Twelve-year-old Kareem Manning hires a criminal to scare his mom's new boyfriend -police officer James Coffee - but it backfires, forcing Coffee and Kareem to team up in order to save themselves from Detroit's most ruthless drug kingpin.

This is one of the higher production quality films for the upcoming month. If I was listing the films by that fact alone, it would probably be in the top 10. I can’t do it, though.

As I mentioned previously, Netflix comedies have no filter at all. Which is fine. It winds up all being on the writer, which I’m all for. I don’t want writers to be censored. That said, I really don’t like some of the comedy I saw in this trailer. It’s just not my kind of thing.

I recognize the homage to 90s films with cop/kid partners. It’s especially there in the movie posters. Still, some of the jokes in the trailer just didn’t land with me… and since the best jokes can often find their way into the coming attractions – I don’t think I’m going to love the full picture.

Of course, it’s still on my list because other people will undoubtedly enjoy the direction taken – and it DOES have that great production quality, along with a solid cast.

13 – The Lost Husband (4/10)


Production/Distribution: Six Foot Pictures, Quiver Distribution
Director: Vicky Wight
Writer: Katherine Center, Vicky Wight
Actors: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, Herizen F. Guardiola, Kevin Alejandro, Sharon Lawrence, Carly Pope, Georgia King, Nora Dunn, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Callie Hope Haverda, Grey Acuna, Stone Garcia, Marcelle Purdy, Roxton Garcia, Marquel Skinner
Genre: Romance
Rated: PG-13
Length: 109 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Trying to put her life back together after the death of her husband, Libby and her children move to her estranged Aunt's goat farm in central Texas.

I deny it a lot, but I’m kind of a sucker for these ‘fish out of water’ romance films. I’m especially fond of them when it feels like the world is on fire and there’s nothing I can do about it. Generally, that’s because I’m pretty much guaranteed a distraction with a happy ending.

Right now, comedies and romances are what I’m going to lean toward. It’s hard to smile and those help.

In this case, The Lost Husband looks like a decent story. The protagonist seems to start from a rock-bottom point, which means there’s no where to go but up.

I’m also really fond of Leslie Bibb (Tag, Running with the Devil, Rhett and Link’s Buddy System) and Josh Duhamel (CHIPS, Spaceman, Battle Creek). I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of chemistry they might have on screen.

12 – Rogue Warfare: The Hunt (4/3)


Production/Distribution: Dovecheck Productions, GEM Entertainment, Saban Films, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Tiberius Film
Director: Mike Gunther
Writer: Andrew Emilio DeCesare
Actors: Will Yun Lee, Jermaine Love, Rory Markham, Bertrand-Xavier Corbi, Katie Keene, Fernando Chien, Chris Mulkey, Gina DeCesare, Michael Blalock, Essam Ferris, Stephen Lang, Linnea Wilson, Marwan Naji, Ali Saam
Genre: Action
Rated: R
Length: 103 minutes

IMDb Blurb: The next story of the Rogue trilogy; Daniel's been captured and it's up to the team to find him before it's too late.

I’m not familiar with the first film of this series. I looked up the reviews on it, though – and they’re not great. However, you know I don’t put all my stock in reviews anymore than I expect you to. Anything we write on Trust the Dice is just our opinion and we’re trying to give you a jumping off point to decide for yourself whether or not you want to see something. I like a lot of films that were simply trashed by critics. Ratings are a decision-making guideline. Not the end-all, be-all.

What that means is that I’m taking this trailer at face value.

There are some definite B-Movie feels to it, but otherwise it looks like an ok, turn-your-brain off war-action film.

The director is a stunt-man. Mike Gunther (Bumbleebee, 6 Underground, Star Trek Beyond) has coordinated stunts for some incredible films. Not the least of which is stuff like Bad Boys for Life (2020) and A Quiet Place (2018). When you take that into account, as well as the fact that the writer, Andrew Emilio DeCesare (Green & Fabulous, Good Guys Finish Last, Casanovas), is seeing his first full-length feature film writing crediting here, you are left with a shit-ton of potential.

I don’t care how bad the first one was. This one does have the possibility of being good. At the very least, you know the action will be on point.

11 – The Other Lamb (4/3)


Production/Distribution: Subotica Entertainment, Rooks Nest Entertainment, Rumble Films (II), Zentropa Belgium, IFC Films, Mubi
Director: Malgorzata Szumowska
Writer: C.S. McMullen
Actors: Michiel Huisman, Raffey Cassidy, Denise Gough, Eve Connolly, Kelly Campbell, Isabelle Connolly, Ailbhe Cowley, Irene Kelleher, Charlotte Moore, Jane Herbert, Mallory Adams, Zara Devlin
Genre: Drama, Horror
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 97 minute

IMDb Blurb: A girl born into an all-female cult led by a man in their compound begins to question his teachings and her own reality.

It’s exceedingly easy for a horror to explore cult-life. When you’re looking at a cult from the outside, even in the real world, it looks strange. Just off enough to be terrifying and off-putting. These kinds of films seek to exploit that natural discomfort.

I’ll always be alright with cult-based horrors. I think they’re almost important as a cultural cinematic norm. People should feel uncomfortable about cults because they’re harmful.

This one looks like it has potential. It’s got fresh voices attached to it and an interesting cast featuring people like Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House, Game of Thrones, Orphan Black), Raffey Cassidy (Tomorrowland, Allied, Vox Lux), and Denise Gough (Colette, A Dark Place, The Kid Who Would Be King). I expect that this will send chills up the spines of those who watch.


10 – Tigertail (4/10)


Production/Distribution: MACRO, Netflix
Director: Alan Yang
Writer: Alan Yang
Actors: Joan Chen, Tzi Ma, Margot Bingham, James Saito, Hayden Szeto, Raymond Ma, Hong-Chi Lee, Cindera Che, Bill Dawes, Kuei-Mei Yang, Tom Kemp, Kunjue Li, Mike Massimino, McCaleb Burnett
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG
Length: 91 minutes

IMDb Blurb: A Taiwanese factory worker leaves his homeland to seek opportunity in America, where he struggles to find connection while balancing family and newfound responsibilities in this multi-generational drama.

I found the trailer for this film to be incredibly interesting. It’s from a perspective I haven’t had the ability to see from in my lifetime. I’m so fascinated by different cultures and the daily obstacles that people from those different walks of life seem to face.

I think a lot of Americans might not be able to relate to the story shown in this trailer, but it’s still something interesting to watch. I expect there will be a lot of heartstring tugging involved, which might not be what everyone’s in the mood for right now, which is why I didn’t put it any higher.

9 – The Quarry (4/17)


Production/Distribution: EFC Films, Metalwork Pictures, Prowess Pictures, Rockhill Studios, Lionsgate, Grindstone Entertainment Group
Director: Scott Teems
Writer: Scott Teems, Andrew Brotzman, Damon Galgut
Actors: Shea Whigham, Michael Shannon, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Bobby Soto, Bruno Bichir, Alvaro Martinez, Jimmy Gonzales, Abel Becerra, Anthony Reynolds, Rose Bianco, Julia Vera, David Jensen, Giovanni Cohea, Anna Watt
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 98 minutes

IMDb Blurb: A drifter (Shea Whigham) kills a traveling preacher and takes his place at a small-town church, but the police chief (Michael Shannon) suspects foul play.

This looks like an interesting crime thriller. The trailer made me ask a ton of questions and then continued on to make it so I felt like I needed to know the answers. There’s a back-and-forth going on in it that makes me wonder if the plot is really what it seems.

On IMDb, it’s mentioned in the blurb that the drifter kills the preacher and takes his place, but the trailer puts everything into a different context that makes me wonder if that’s all there really is to the story. That’s exactly what you want from a crime thriller trailer. You want to go into a film like this with questions and suspicions.

8 – Trolls World Tour (4/10)


Production/Distribution: Dreamworks Animation, Universal Pictures, B&H Film Distribution, Toho-Towa, United International Picture (UIP), United Pictures International (UPI), United Pictures, Sky
Director: Walt Dohrn, David P. Smith
Writer: Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky, Elizabeth Tippet, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Actors: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Ozzy Osbourne, Rachel Bloom, Anderson Paak, George Clinton, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Rockwell, Ron Funches, Gwen Stefani, Aino Jawo, Caroline Hjelt, Kunal Nayyar, Jamie Dornan, J Balvin, Kenan Thompson, Walt Dohrn, Ester Dean, Gustavo Dudamel, Anthony Ramos, Flula Borg, Karan Soni, Charlyne Ti, Joo-Hyun Bae, Seul-gi Kang, Son Seung-Wan, Soo-Young Park, Ye-rim Kim
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 90 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Poppy and Branch discover that they are but one of six different Troll tribes scattered over six different lands devoted to six different kinds of music: Funk, Country, Techno, Classical, Pop and Rock. Their world is about to get a lot bigger and a whole lot louder. A member of hard-rock royalty, Queen Barb, aided by her father King Thrash, wants to destroy all other kinds of music to let rock reign supreme. With the fate of the world at stake, Poppy and Branch, along with their friends, set out to visit all the other lands to unify the Trolls in harmony against Barb, who's looking to upstage them all.

Not gonna lie to you. I hate the Trolls. The movies, the shows, all of it. I even hate the toys. That said, I have to acknowledge the significance of this movie coming out online this month.

As I mentioned in the disclaimer, I’m almost positive that other big production companies are just holding their breath and waiting to see how Trolls World Tour does. It had a huge budget and if DreamWorks can turn a profit by releasing it without the theaters being open – I’m pretty sure other big-budget movies will follow.

So, despite my personal feelings about this ridiculous series… I would still urge people to consider renting the film. For parents, it’ll occupy your kids for an hour and a half. For people without kids, by putting money toward this film you might be ensuring that we get access to better big-budget movies, more geared toward adults, during this pandemic.

Even I’m going to consider renting it.

7 – The Willoughbys (4/22)


Production/Distribution: BRON Studios, Creative Wealth Media Finance, Netflix
Director: Kris Pearn, Cory Evans, Rob Lodermeier
Writer: Lois Lowry, Kris Pearn, Mark Stanleigh
Actors: Will Forte, Martin Short, Alessia Cara, Jane Krakowski, Ricky Gervais, Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, Seán Cullen, Shannon Chan-Kent, Rebecca Husain, Bonnie Riley, Cristina Rosato, Islie Hirvonen, Robyn Ross, Fiona Toth, Colleen Wheeler
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Rated: PG
Length: 92 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Convinced they'd be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family.

This trailer didn’t impress me the first time I watched it. In fact, I had it much lower on this list. The next few times I went through it, though, I started recognizing more and more epic comedic actor voices.

I think the plot’s a weird one, but it’s being presented by a cast I cannot ignore. There are some giants involved: Will Forte (Alien News Desk, Booksmart, Keanu), Martin Short (Good People, Inherent Vice, Damages), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, Henchmen, Pixels), Ricky Gervais (The Office, Special Correspondents, Cemetery Junction), Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live, Big Mouth, Big Hero 6), and Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, John Henry, Deadpool 2). If those people were starring in a live-action comedy film together, we’d be hearing a LOT more about it.

I still don’t know how I feel about the plot, but I know we’re going to get some grade A comedy that should work just as well for adults as it does for kids. That makes it worth watching for me.


6 – Selah and the Spades (4/17)



Production/Distribution: Argent Pictures, Novel Pictures, MVMT, Cinereach, Secret Engine, Amazon Studios, Amazon Prime Video
Director: Tayarisha Poe
Writer: Tayarish Poe
Actors: Lovie Simone, Jharrel Jerome, Celeste O’Connor, Ana Mulvoy Ten, Jesse Williams, Nekhebet Kum Juch, Francesca Noel, Henry Hunter Hall, Krish Bhuva
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 97 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Five factions run the underground life of Haldwell School, a prestigious east coast boarding school. At the head of the most powerful faction - The Spades - sits Selah Summers, walking the fine line between being feared and loved.

There’s something about the plot here that makes me think that this movie has the potential to alter what’s expected of its genre. It almost seems like it changes a coming of age film into a metaphor for a teenage dystopia. How the hell could I possibly ignore that?

The trailer is fairly straightforward and doesn’t really give us a glance into the chemistry of the actors or the basic setting. That, to me, makes it a dark horse. It could be anywhere on the scale – good or bad. I have a feeling about this one, though. One I can’t ignore. I really think there’s going to be something about it that either makes it legendary or – at the very least – a cult classic.

I can’t wait to find out if I’m right.

5 – Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (4/12)


Production/Distribution: DC Entertainment, Midway Games, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Director: Ethan Spaulding
Writer: Jeremy Adams, Ed Boon
Actors: Jennifer Carpenter, Grey Griffin, Joel McHale, Kevin Michael Richardson, Steve Blum, Darin De Paul, Robin Atkin Downes, Fred Tatasciore, Jordan Rodrigues, Patrick Seitz, Ike Amadi, Dave B. Mitchell, Artt Butler
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: An animated project based on the long-running Mortal Kombat video game franchise.

This film caught me by surprise. It wasn’t on my initial master list of films coming out this month. (I have better VOD sources now.)

I’m a gamer and, as-such, I have to give Mortal Kombat a ton of respect. It’s never faltered as a behemoth in the gaming community. I’m not much a fighting-gamer. I can’t seem to remember the combos, so I wind up button mashing. That said, I do enjoy playing from time to time, and I really love watching my husband play. It’s such a brutal game.

However, because I don’t play the game much myself, I’m not familiar with a lot of the lore. That means I don’t know how accurate this movie is. Regardless of that, it looks like an amazing animated movie for adults. It looks just as brutal as the games and the voice acting seems to be on point.

There are some great actors involves. Among them is Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Limitless, The Devil’s Hand), Joel McHale (Trouble, Assassination Nation, Community), Grey Griffin (DC Super Hero Girls, Onward, Young Justice), and Steve Blum (Niko and the Sword of Light, Young Justice, Promare). More interesting than that, the man who played Goro in the Mortal Kombat (1995) movie, is returning as Goro: Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy, American Dad, Young Justice).

On top of all that, it’s being released by DC Entertainment – who is normally on point with their animated movies.

I’m looking forward to it.

4 – Sergio (4/17)


Production/Distribution: Black Rabbit Media, Anima Pictures, Desert Motion Pictures, Thai Occidental Productions, Netflix
Director: Greg Barker
Writer: Craig Borten
Actors: Wagner Moura, Ana de Armas, Brian F. O’Byrne, Garret Dillahunt, Clemens Schick, Will Dalton, Jason Anthony
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 118 minutes

IMDb Blurb: A sweeping drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, where the life of top UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello hangs in the balance during the most treacherous mission of his career.

Politics suck. There have been very few politicians I didn’t hate simply on principle. Even though there’s politics in this film, there’s a bit of idealism threaded through it. How close is it to the original true story? I have no idea… but I could do with a little idealism right now.

The story looks intense and the cast is pretty good. For instance, how could I not love Ana de Armas (The Informer, Blade Runner 2049, Overdrive) after that performance in Knives Out (2019)?

As I mentioned, this movie does poke at politics and there are a lot of people who probably aren’t going to want to deal with that – I get it. Normally, I wouldn’t either… but the trailer for this film is just epic.

3 – The Main Event (4/10)


Production/Distribution: WWE Studios, Netflix
Director: Jay Karas
Writer: Larry Postel, Zach Lewis, Peter Hoare, Jim Mahoney
Actors: Adam Pally, Tichina Arnold, Lucie Guest, Lisa Durupt, Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin, Donna Banadicto, Stephen Farrelly, Seth Carr, Momona Tamada, Beth Phoenix, Paul Lazenby, Bodhi Sabongui, Russell Roberts, Dallas Young
Genre: Action
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 101 minutes

IMDb Blurb: After discovering a magical mask, an 11-year-old aspiring wrestler enters a competition to become the next WWE superstar.

This film looks so unbelievably cute. There’s an homage to 90s films in it, which triggers my nostalgia, but it’s also got its own uniqueness to it.

The main actor, Seth Carr (Black Panther, Knight Squad, Free Reign), seems to be tailor made for this part. Normally, I don’t really notice child actors in the trailer, but he seems to be so naturally charming as the main character. I already want him to succeed and I haven’t even seen the film yet. If the rest of the movie shows him in the same light, then he’s got some serious potential for a long-lasting career. Hell, he’s already done more in his life than most of us.

Does The Main Event reinvent its genre? Nah, probably not. But it’s cute and it’ll put a smile on your face. I’m positive about that.

2 – Sea Fever (4/17)


Production/Distribution: Bright Moving Pictures, Creativity Capital, Fantastic Films, Flexibon Films, Frakas Productions, Makar Productions, Gunpowder & Sky, Signature Pictures, Eagle Film
Director: Neasa Hardiman
Writer: Neasa Hardiman
Actors: Connie Nielsen, Hermione Corfield, Dougray Scott, Olwen Fouéré, Jack Hickey, Ardalan Esmaili, Elie Bouakaze
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 89 minutes

IMDb Blurb: The crew of a West of Ireland trawler, marooned at sea, struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.

I love claustrophobic films and I love science fiction. In Sea Fever, I have both.

There’s something about that creature feature vibe that always gets me. I even like it in B-Movies, but this doesn’t feel like that. This film has a great production quality that you just don’t get in a lot of creature features like this. It’d be impossible for me to overlook Sea Fever. I’m super here for it.

1 – True History of the Kelly Gang (4/24)


Production/Distribution: Porchlight Films, Daybreak Pictures, Film Victoria, Film4, La Cinéfacture, Screen Australia, Film & TV House, IFC Films, GEM Entertainment, Picturehouse Entertainment, The Searchers, Transmission Films, Cine Canibal, Forefront Media Group
Director: Justin Kurzel
Writer: Shaun Grant, Peter Carey
Actors: George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Orlando Schwerdt, Thomasin McKenzie, Sean Keenan, Earl Cave, Marlon Williams, Louis Hewison, Charlie Hunnam, Russell Crowe
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 124 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Based on Peter Carey's novel. The story of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang as they flee from authorities during the 1870s.

The very first thing that caught my eye about this film was George MacKay (Ophelia, Nuclear, Been So Long). I saw him in 1917 (2019) and absolutely adored his flawless performance. He deserved a lot more recognition than he got for his part in that and I’m dying to see what he’s going to do in the future.

I didn’t even care what this movie was about at first because it was all about MacKay for me. I’d have seen it regardless of what it was. Then I saw the trailer.

Not only is he joined by phenomenal/recognizable actors like Russel Crowe (The Nice Guys, Noah, Winter’s Tale), Essie Davis (The Babadook, Babyteeth, Sweeney Todd), Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Triple Frontier, The Gentlemen), Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Lost Girls, The Changeover), and Nicholas Hoult (Sand Castle, The Favourite, Tolkien), but the trailer looks damn good.

This is the kind of film I’d have forked out money for a theater ticket for without a second thought or any regrets. The story is filled with depth and the parts of the script shown in the trailer makes me want so much more.

I’ll be renting this one.

Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat

Rootwood .20
Earth and Blood .19
The Quarry .18
Green Rush .17
Sergio .16
The Other Lamb .15
Selah and the Spades .14
Tigertail .13
Bad Therapy .12
Dreamkatcher .11
Sea Fever .10
An English Haunting .9
Rogue Warfare: The Hunt .8
The Lost Husband .7
 The Main Event .6
Coffee & Kareem .5
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge .4
True History of the Kelly Gang .3
The Willoughbys .2
Trolls World Tour .1

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